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The Blackwell Brothers #1
Baby Be Mine
Since his parents' death, Alec Blackwell has spent the last eighteen years of his life caring for his eight siblings. With his youngest sister finally off to college, he's looking forward to living a kid-free life. Then Mia Tremaine arrives on his doorstep with a baby in tow. Mia's a stranger, but the baby's mama isn't...
Mia Tremaine knows all about Alec's gold-star reputation in raising his brothers and sister. It's all her own sister, Meggie, could talk about, even though she refused to inform Alec about her pregnancy. Now she's gone, and it's up to Mia to give Meggie's daughter the best life possible. Kids need fathers—and Alec's supposedly proven to be a good one—but the man Mia finds when she delivers the news is anything but welcoming....
BABY BE MINE is a baby on-the-doorstep, marriage-of-convenience romance that will tug at your emotions with every page. With its flawed but lovable characters, this novel is a must-read for anyone who believes in forgiveness and new beginnings.
Mia Tremaine knows all about Alec's gold-star reputation in raising his brothers and sister. It's all her own sister, Meggie, could talk about, even though she refused to inform Alec about her pregnancy. Now she's gone, and it's up to Mia to give Meggie's daughter the best life possible. Kids need fathers—and Alec's supposedly proven to be a good one—but the man Mia finds when she delivers the news is anything but welcoming....
BABY BE MINE is a baby on-the-doorstep, marriage-of-convenience romance that will tug at your emotions with every page. With its flawed but lovable characters, this novel is a must-read for anyone who believes in forgiveness and new beginnings.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2023
2150 people are currently reading
423 people want to read
About the author
Kay Lyons
139 books55 followersPseudonym: Ivy James (slightly sexier stories) and Kay Stockham
Kay Lyons always wanted to be a writer, ever since the age of seven or eight when she copied the pictures out of a Charlie Brown book and rewrote the story because she didn’t like the plot.
Through the years her stories have changed but one characteristic stayed true— they were all romances. Each and every one of her manuscripts included a love story. Published in 2005 with Harlequin Enterprises, Kay’s first release was a #7 bestseller. Kay has also been a HOLT Medallion, Book Buyers Best and RITA Award nominee.
Kay's books are known for their heartfelt and emotional storytelling, focusing on themes of love, redemption, and personal growth. Her novels feature well-developed characters who navigate through life's challenges, finding love and new beginnings along the way. Set in charming small-town environments from mountains to beaches, her stories are filled with warmth, friendships, family dynamics, and a strong sense of community. Kay's writing is appreciated for its depth, relatable characters, and the emotional journeys her protagonists undergo. Her books are a blend of sweet and swoony romance that resonate with readers.
If you like slightly sexier books, check out Kay's alter-ego Ivy James. Kay currently focuses on sweet, small town contemporary romance while Ivy James' titles contain love scenes and mild language. Several of Kay's series have alternative versions by Ivy James, and you can find the list below. Just remember Kay Lyons' books are sweet/clean and wholesome, and Ivy James' are sexy.
Stone Gap Mountain Series (Ivy James) = Stone River Series (Kay Lyons)
Tennessee Tulanes Series (Ivy James) = Taming The Tulanes Series (Kay Lyons)
Montana Skies Series (Ivy James) = Montana Secrets Series (Kay Lyons)
Redeeming Love Series (Ivy James) = Small Town Scandals Series (Kay Lyons)
The Crash Before Christmas (Ivy James) = Secret Santa 1 (Kay Lyons)
Kay Lyons always wanted to be a writer, ever since the age of seven or eight when she copied the pictures out of a Charlie Brown book and rewrote the story because she didn’t like the plot.
Through the years her stories have changed but one characteristic stayed true— they were all romances. Each and every one of her manuscripts included a love story. Published in 2005 with Harlequin Enterprises, Kay’s first release was a #7 bestseller. Kay has also been a HOLT Medallion, Book Buyers Best and RITA Award nominee.
Kay's books are known for their heartfelt and emotional storytelling, focusing on themes of love, redemption, and personal growth. Her novels feature well-developed characters who navigate through life's challenges, finding love and new beginnings along the way. Set in charming small-town environments from mountains to beaches, her stories are filled with warmth, friendships, family dynamics, and a strong sense of community. Kay's writing is appreciated for its depth, relatable characters, and the emotional journeys her protagonists undergo. Her books are a blend of sweet and swoony romance that resonate with readers.
If you like slightly sexier books, check out Kay's alter-ego Ivy James. Kay currently focuses on sweet, small town contemporary romance while Ivy James' titles contain love scenes and mild language. Several of Kay's series have alternative versions by Ivy James, and you can find the list below. Just remember Kay Lyons' books are sweet/clean and wholesome, and Ivy James' are sexy.
Stone Gap Mountain Series (Ivy James) = Stone River Series (Kay Lyons)
Tennessee Tulanes Series (Ivy James) = Taming The Tulanes Series (Kay Lyons)
Montana Skies Series (Ivy James) = Montana Secrets Series (Kay Lyons)
Redeeming Love Series (Ivy James) = Small Town Scandals Series (Kay Lyons)
The Crash Before Christmas (Ivy James) = Secret Santa 1 (Kay Lyons)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 14, 2024
Too much other people and not enough main characters
I'm always going to give authors who do this two stars. I liked the concept and the bare bones but the execution was terrible. Why would you make a third of someone's story about other people. It doesn't entice me because I know the other books will be similar or worse. And the family, extended family, and friends from every book the author has ever written tells me the couple isn't interesting enough to keep a reader entertained by themselves. And it frustrates me even more because Mia and Alec are interesting enough to do a scene where Alec realizes he's fallen in love. The overnight scene could have been included if the stuff with Isla was cut. All of it, that whole subplot, because who really cares. Instead of insights into a character's emotional state that could give the reader a feeling of intimacy the focus is shifted to a teenager dodging responsibility for the decisions they made. Isla is forced to come clean only by someone else's actions. And it's not the adults in her life that make her do the right thing, it's a refund.
I'm always going to give authors who do this two stars. I liked the concept and the bare bones but the execution was terrible. Why would you make a third of someone's story about other people. It doesn't entice me because I know the other books will be similar or worse. And the family, extended family, and friends from every book the author has ever written tells me the couple isn't interesting enough to keep a reader entertained by themselves. And it frustrates me even more because Mia and Alec are interesting enough to do a scene where Alec realizes he's fallen in love. The overnight scene could have been included if the stuff with Isla was cut. All of it, that whole subplot, because who really cares. Instead of insights into a character's emotional state that could give the reader a feeling of intimacy the focus is shifted to a teenager dodging responsibility for the decisions they made. Isla is forced to come clean only by someone else's actions. And it's not the adults in her life that make her do the right thing, it's a refund.
October 12, 2025
It was alright. Closed door romance. Very wholesome. However, the guy was too perfect, said nearly everything right which is just not real. I felt like there was a lot going on with side characters and keeping track of all the brothers and their story lines was difficult. But the narrators were at least unique in their thoughts, I have been running into a lot of books where the characters sound THE SAME.
March 13, 2025
Not enough time spent on the main characters. Not a fan of so many background characters. Also why name people that are in same scene with names so close. (Isabel & Isla)
November 30, 2025
The book honestly did frustrate me a little. Here are a few things I didn’t like. WITH SPOILERS!
The female lead got on my nerves throughout the whole entire book. I understand that she told her sister she would take care of her niece but the reality is that she just wasn’t the best guardian. The book started out with her coming to his door and basically guilting him into co parenting. “If you’re a decent person” “my sister spoke highly of you”. Then when he agreed to be apart of his daughter’s life, she wanted it to be by her rules and terms. Absolutely ridiculous. How can you come to him with nothing then make demands? She’s basically homeless besides the van she’s lived in. Which in the book it never even describes the set up of the van so we never really know if the inside was suitable for a child. She lives in her mobile van, has a crazy amount of debt and no money. She then was upset at him for not wanting his daughter to be raised in a van and unstable living conditions. She even says that a man once tried to break into her van, naked! I just didn’t understand her point in this… why would she not want their child to grow up in a house with her own bed and AC which she also didn’t have. She was so independent that it was irresponsible.
Then the male lead was just too perfect. I can’t think of one conversation that had where he was wrong or even said something in the wrong way. He always ended up apologizing not because he was wrong but because of her trauma and how she responded. It’s almost like he was reading her mind with everything she needed. He had no real flaws. His plan was to take off after raising all his siblings and I find that he accepted fatherhood way too easy. Not only that but he didn’t struggle with waking up in the middle of the night and a crying baby. She was always tired but it never mentioned him randomly falling asleep. I feel he’s a great book boyfriend but he’s just not realistic especially since he’s never even been in a serious relationship.
The POV of his younger sister was flat out annoying and unnecessary. All of her povs were about how she hated school and felt miserable there and eventually dropped out of school that she had a scholarship for, to be a nanny. Like what? And the prolonging telling him and making everyone promise to not say anything was annoying. It was filler.
The argument they had at the end was just dumb and poorly executed. He professed his love, she rejected him and randomly later decided to “go get her man” which doesn’t even happen. She jumped to conclusions and assumed he wanted her to leave so she threatened him with moving..? And he ended up apologizing yet again because her own trauma got in the way of reconciling with him. How does one realize they were wrong then again find something to be upset about? I feel like she’s the reflection of what happens when we don’t face our past and trauma. To her everyone was a villain. I don’t remember if she said her age but she had to be at least late 20s. I expected so much more grace and maturity from her. I don’t feel like she was nearly as fit to be a parent as he was and I often felt she was selfish. Sometimes it seemed like she wanted custody to make amends for all she and her sister went through. Which we see sometimes when parent lives through their children out of lack of what they didn’t have.
His family immediately telling him to take custody of a child they met 5 seconds prior was disgustingly terrible. Like you don’t even know her or this baby yet you want him to break them apart. I’m sorry, I don’t think I liked this one every much BUT I loved the beach theme and how old fashioned the male lead was. Definitely could have used more interactions with Willa and her dad.
The female lead got on my nerves throughout the whole entire book. I understand that she told her sister she would take care of her niece but the reality is that she just wasn’t the best guardian. The book started out with her coming to his door and basically guilting him into co parenting. “If you’re a decent person” “my sister spoke highly of you”. Then when he agreed to be apart of his daughter’s life, she wanted it to be by her rules and terms. Absolutely ridiculous. How can you come to him with nothing then make demands? She’s basically homeless besides the van she’s lived in. Which in the book it never even describes the set up of the van so we never really know if the inside was suitable for a child. She lives in her mobile van, has a crazy amount of debt and no money. She then was upset at him for not wanting his daughter to be raised in a van and unstable living conditions. She even says that a man once tried to break into her van, naked! I just didn’t understand her point in this… why would she not want their child to grow up in a house with her own bed and AC which she also didn’t have. She was so independent that it was irresponsible.
Then the male lead was just too perfect. I can’t think of one conversation that had where he was wrong or even said something in the wrong way. He always ended up apologizing not because he was wrong but because of her trauma and how she responded. It’s almost like he was reading her mind with everything she needed. He had no real flaws. His plan was to take off after raising all his siblings and I find that he accepted fatherhood way too easy. Not only that but he didn’t struggle with waking up in the middle of the night and a crying baby. She was always tired but it never mentioned him randomly falling asleep. I feel he’s a great book boyfriend but he’s just not realistic especially since he’s never even been in a serious relationship.
The POV of his younger sister was flat out annoying and unnecessary. All of her povs were about how she hated school and felt miserable there and eventually dropped out of school that she had a scholarship for, to be a nanny. Like what? And the prolonging telling him and making everyone promise to not say anything was annoying. It was filler.
The argument they had at the end was just dumb and poorly executed. He professed his love, she rejected him and randomly later decided to “go get her man” which doesn’t even happen. She jumped to conclusions and assumed he wanted her to leave so she threatened him with moving..? And he ended up apologizing yet again because her own trauma got in the way of reconciling with him. How does one realize they were wrong then again find something to be upset about? I feel like she’s the reflection of what happens when we don’t face our past and trauma. To her everyone was a villain. I don’t remember if she said her age but she had to be at least late 20s. I expected so much more grace and maturity from her. I don’t feel like she was nearly as fit to be a parent as he was and I often felt she was selfish. Sometimes it seemed like she wanted custody to make amends for all she and her sister went through. Which we see sometimes when parent lives through their children out of lack of what they didn’t have.
His family immediately telling him to take custody of a child they met 5 seconds prior was disgustingly terrible. Like you don’t even know her or this baby yet you want him to break them apart. I’m sorry, I don’t think I liked this one every much BUT I loved the beach theme and how old fashioned the male lead was. Definitely could have used more interactions with Willa and her dad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
Baby Be Mine by Kay Lyons was a quick, easy read with some sweet moments, but it didn’t totally wow me.
The premise was fun—marriage of convenience with a surprise baby thrown into the mix—and I liked the beachy, laid back setting. The banter was fine, and there were a few sweet moments.
That said, the story was very formulaic. If you’re a regular reader of romance, you won't find anything original or unique here, except for the fact that, for whatever reason, this was a love story about a woman caring for her dead sister's baby, that baby's father, and the father's younger sister. I'm still proverbially scratching my head at the decision to throw another woman's POV into a narrative that had very little to do with her. She had an ARC that added nothing to the main story and was resolved in a hurry during the 3rd act "break-up" of the lead couple.
The baby scenes were adorable, but sometimes the drama felt forced just to keep things moving. And, in my opinion, the book lacked depth. The feelings didn't hit for me. Maybe because Mia's issues with love, men, and relationships had more to do with her late mother and sister than herself—I didn't vibe with the sheer amount of baggage she insisted on carrying around because of, mainly, second-hand experiences. Maybe because we were told a lot of things, like Alec's fierce love and protectiveness over his family, or Mia's grief over the loss of her mom and sister, but didn't get to actually experience much of them.
Overall, it was a decent read—perfect if you want something light and fluffy without too much depth. Not my favorite fake-dating romance, but worth getting if you find it for free on Amazon like I did!
April 15, 2025
Major trust issues
A moving story of how the love for baby Willa changes the life of both Mia Flannery, Willa's Aunt and legal guardian and Alec Blackwell, Willa's father who had no knowledge of her existence. Alec has already looked after and raised his eight siblings after his parents died in an accident and was finally looking forward to taking a well earned holiday when Mia and Willa turned up on his doorstep. Mia, who has lost both her mother and sister Meggie recently, has major trust issues and sadly a lot of emotional baggage to contend with. The two need to work out how to come to terms with the situation so they can co parent and raise beautiful little Willa, preferably together
A moving story of how the love for baby Willa changes the life of both Mia Flannery, Willa's Aunt and legal guardian and Alec Blackwell, Willa's father who had no knowledge of her existence. Alec has already looked after and raised his eight siblings after his parents died in an accident and was finally looking forward to taking a well earned holiday when Mia and Willa turned up on his doorstep. Mia, who has lost both her mother and sister Meggie recently, has major trust issues and sadly a lot of emotional baggage to contend with. The two need to work out how to come to terms with the situation so they can co parent and raise beautiful little Willa, preferably together
October 20, 2024
This tale of a parentified man who finally sees freedom to live his own life only to discover an unexpected baby on his doorstep has a good deal of depth and delicacy. The baby comes with an aunt, a desperate and wounded heroine. Her rocky past makes it difficult for her to reach out and take all that the hero offers. If I have one quibble with this story, it's that all the women she meets in this new locale seem to live perfect lives and be perfectly friendly and generous and so on. There's the fairy tale aspect. The relationship between the hero and heroine is romantic but grounded more in reality. I was surprised and impressed. Give this one a read; it's worth your time.
November 22, 2024
A refreshing read.
It was interesting to read a romance that focused more on the main protagonists' personalities (strengths and flaws) rather than keep the spotlight on their physical attributes. Both main leads have back stories that are well narrated by the author, and make you root for each of them in turn.
At first the sheer number of characters in the novel had my mind reeling, but the author did a good job to keep them in line so that readers don't get lost amidst the crowd of characters swarming the pages.
A well crafted story that kicks off the series.
It was interesting to read a romance that focused more on the main protagonists' personalities (strengths and flaws) rather than keep the spotlight on their physical attributes. Both main leads have back stories that are well narrated by the author, and make you root for each of them in turn.
At first the sheer number of characters in the novel had my mind reeling, but the author did a good job to keep them in line so that readers don't get lost amidst the crowd of characters swarming the pages.
A well crafted story that kicks off the series.
April 13, 2025
I found this to be a good read. It's told from a different perspective. I thought Alec being the parent and the protector refreshing. Mia definitely had plenty of baggage and could have benefited from some therapy.
The thing I would have changed is the length of the book. I think more time was needed to flesh out ending. I think after the last chapter, it could have included more with Isla and the family's acceptance of her decision to leave school. More could have been added to the epilogue too.
The thing I would have changed is the length of the book. I think more time was needed to flesh out ending. I think after the last chapter, it could have included more with Isla and the family's acceptance of her decision to leave school. More could have been added to the epilogue too.
April 23, 2025
This unusual and very intriguing plot leads the reader through domestic drama and past emotional upheaval. Through it all, Alec Blackwell, as the eldest, stands strong and continues to set the example for the eight grown siblings he raised after the death of his parents. Little did Alec guess that finding Mia Tremaine and the baby in her arms, Willa, would change his life forever and add to the members of his beloved family, really good read with complex and likable characters and an action-packed storyline. Good Read!!!!!
June 13, 2025
A different plot with excellent character development. Story about a sister who gained custody of her sister's baby daughter after she passed from complications. Looking for the baby's father, she finds Alec who after raising his siblings, was seeking a reprieve. However, living up to his obligations puts Mia in a rather awkward situation. Although attracted to one another, her past home experiences and relationships keeps her from moving forward. Good, clean bedtime story with great father image and Christian-based references.
October 6, 2025
Waste of time and money
This story didn't even make sense. They didn't have to get married. They could have just lived together. Totally nonsensical. Also, I didn't think it was possible to write every character that was horrible, but here we are. If I lived in this place I would move just to get away from these people. And why did we have the Isla story interrupting at all? Literally no point except to set up her own book, which I will definitely not be reading.
The only reason I finished was on principle because I paid for it and it was short.
This story didn't even make sense. They didn't have to get married. They could have just lived together. Totally nonsensical. Also, I didn't think it was possible to write every character that was horrible, but here we are. If I lived in this place I would move just to get away from these people. And why did we have the Isla story interrupting at all? Literally no point except to set up her own book, which I will definitely not be reading.
The only reason I finished was on principle because I paid for it and it was short.
October 21, 2024
Lived it
Can't imagine having to lose your parents in a car accident just after turning 18 and have 6 siblings younger than you that you don't want to get separated from. That is a whole lot for a young man to deal with, plus losing his parents at same time. Turns out he was stronger and had a fierc e love of his brothers and his sister and fought hard and made it. Really goid story.
Can't imagine having to lose your parents in a car accident just after turning 18 and have 6 siblings younger than you that you don't want to get separated from. That is a whole lot for a young man to deal with, plus losing his parents at same time. Turns out he was stronger and had a fierc e love of his brothers and his sister and fought hard and made it. Really goid story.
April 27, 2025
he raised his 8 siblings when their parents died. the last one was going off to college and he was finally going to take a trip for himself
then a girl shows up on his step with a baby she says is his and her dead sisters
they do dna and it is his daughter
he moves her and the baby into his house and tells her they are going to get married and raise the baby together. they go to a lawyer to write up the papers
she has trust issues but they fall in love for real
then a girl shows up on his step with a baby she says is his and her dead sisters
they do dna and it is his daughter
he moves her and the baby into his house and tells her they are going to get married and raise the baby together. they go to a lawyer to write up the papers
she has trust issues but they fall in love for real
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2025
I actually liked this book by a new to me writer. It didn’t have enough angst or spice for me but I did like the characters and the story. This book reminds me of the romances of the 70s and 80’s. No spice and very little angst but a decent romance. I really appreciate writers whose vocabulary isn’t so limited that they think an F-bomb in every sentence of dialogue equals good storytelling. I will probably read more by her in the future when I need something gentle and sweet.
November 2, 2024
Surprise, I'm a Dad
He was finally free after his last sibling graduated. He'd raise all 8 of them after his parents died. Now he could relax and have some fun. Until he opened the door and found a woman and a baby. This was a nice contemporary romance full of secrets and at last love. A good read.
He was finally free after his last sibling graduated. He'd raise all 8 of them after his parents died. Now he could relax and have some fun. Until he opened the door and found a woman and a baby. This was a nice contemporary romance full of secrets and at last love. A good read.
April 22, 2025
Honest to goodness romance
An honest to goodness clean romance where both Alec and Mia are fortunately both gorgeous so that easily ticks the attraction box.
The convenience marriage felt a bit rushed to me on both sides , I liked them as a couple but ( I know it’s fiction!) it was all a little too good to be true for my taste .
An honest to goodness clean romance where both Alec and Mia are fortunately both gorgeous so that easily ticks the attraction box.
The convenience marriage felt a bit rushed to me on both sides , I liked them as a couple but ( I know it’s fiction!) it was all a little too good to be true for my taste .
April 25, 2025
You must suspend a lot of disbelief enjoy this one. The writing is simplistic. The story brushes some heavy issues but lacks depth. I also wish the story concentrated on our main characters because with so many characters the book doesn't feel like the first in a series, but like the fourth one - and you haven't read the first three.
August 12, 2025
Really enjoyed this romance. There seemed like there were some time jumps that were unaccounted for, but I didn't hate that. I felt it helped stick closer to the story at hand instead of going on side tangents. The ending felt a bit rushed but again. I still enjoyed the story. It was a nice palette cleanser between some thriller stories.
October 13, 2024
A Story of drama, some paranoia from characters like Alec & of course a dash of romance. The Blackwell siblings seem interesting. I read a bit about book two second chance wedding intriguing for sure. Thank you to @bookbub for the reading recommendation.
October 31, 2024
Mia shows up in town carrying a baby and tells Alec he is the father. He doesn’t believe her but refuses to let her leave until he finds out for sure.she has learned the hard way that she can’t trust men. An interesting tale.
October 31, 2024
really good read!
This book took me for a spin, Mia and Alec’s story was a really interesting because of how Mia grew up she has a lot of issues but Alec was the one who helped her over come that.
This book took me for a spin, Mia and Alec’s story was a really interesting because of how Mia grew up she has a lot of issues but Alec was the one who helped her over come that.
May 15, 2025
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like reading this book. I am glad that I stayed with it. Lots of good characters. However, there are definite DV issues that enter the conversation. Nothing graphic, but some could trigger unwanted memories.
May 18, 2025
A heart warming story of two people who faced life changing difficulties. Alec took care of his younger brothers and sisters upon the death of their parents. Mia was given custody of her sister's baby as she died shortly after giving birth. How will they solve this next life changing problem.
July 11, 2025
Mia's determination to do right meets a challenging situation that we all can understand. I enjoy stories with babies even though books are my own babies as well as siblings and family dynamics. I look forward to the rest of the series.
July 16, 2025
I'm surprised I could read this book with all of the eye rolling I was doing. Ridiculously cheesy and predictable.
Lost track of how many times I was going to 'DNF' it, but I hung in there. Time I will never get back, Baby.
Lost track of how many times I was going to 'DNF' it, but I hung in there. Time I will never get back, Baby.
August 18, 2025
love, truly caring opens hearts
Awakening to what love really is. Two people with difficult past lives find each other in very different ways. They break down fences and learn to build a new life together. Good characters. Heart felt caring people.
Awakening to what love really is. Two people with difficult past lives find each other in very different ways. They break down fences and learn to build a new life together. Good characters. Heart felt caring people.
January 2, 2024
4.5stars.
Want to read
October 14, 2024Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.
October 15, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of this series. I love the characters, and look forward to reading more about others in the Blackwell family.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews